College football Top 25 Countdown: No. 2 Alabama

Updated 10:52 pm, Thursday, August 23, 2012

A.J. McCarron is back to lead the Alabama offense after helping the Crimson Tide win the BCS title last season.

A.J. McCarron is back to lead the Alabama offense after helping the Crimson Tide win the BCS title last season.

Photo: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

College football Top 25 Countdown: No. 2 Alabama

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Express-News college football beat writer Tim Griffin is offering a daily look at his choices for the preseason Top 25:

Nick Saban is on the verge of history. Alabama will be gunning for the first back-to-back championships in the BCS era and the first undisputed consecutive national championships since Nebraska in 1994-95. In order to do it, the Crimson Tide will have to navigate through the toughest conference in the nation with a retooled cast of characters centered around returning starting quarterback A.J. McCarron. If the defense emerges like last season, they have a solid chance.

Coach: Nick Saban, sixth season at school, 55-12 record; 17th season overall, 146-54-1 career record

Last year: 12-1, 7-1 (second in SEC West), including 21-0 victory over LSU in the BCS National Championship Game. Ranked first in final Associated Press poll, first in final ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, first in final Sagarin ratings, 15th in schedule strength

Strengths: The Tide will be fearsome in the trenches, and McCarron is exactly the kind of solid, steady quarterback who Saban likes to have running his offense.

Weaknesses:Trent Richardson's production will be missed, and the Tide's kicking woes cost them in their only loss last season.

Biggest game: LSU. The folks in Baton Rouge still haven't forgotten Saban after he left them for the Miami Dolphins earlier in his career. The fact he resurfaced at their biggest conference rivals and won last year's national title game only intensifies the rivalry. Saban is 3-3 against LSU since taking the Alabama job, including 1-1 at Tiger Stadium.

BCS bound if: The unproven talent ticketed for starting roles plays up to expectations. McCarron's continued development in the offense would be a big boost, too.

It's a fact: Alabama became only the second team in college football history to lead the nation in scoring defense, rushing defense, pass defense and total defense in the same season. The other team was Oklahoma in 1986.